Castle Tucker, 1807
Lee Street at High Street
Wiscasset, Me. 04578
(207) 882-7169
Directions
Open: June 1 through October 15, Wednesday through Sunday
Tours at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Admission: $5, Historic New England members and Wiscasset residents free
Built on the top of a hill overlooking the Sheepscot River, Castle
Tucker presents a vivid record of Wiscasset history. Judge Silas Lee
built this Federal-style mansion at the peak of prosperity, when the
town was the busiest port east of Boston.
Lee's death in 1814, combined with the stunning effect of the
Jefferson Embargo, forced his widow to sell. The house passed through
a succession of hands until 1858, when Captain Richard Tucker, scion
of a Wiscasset shipping family, bought the property, updated the
interiors, and added a dramatic two-story porch to the front. Shortly
after, he brought a shipload of fashionable furnishings from Boston
and moved in with his young bride.
The couple raised five children here, while
Captian Tucker oversaw various business ventures including the
wharves and iron foundry just below the house. In 1871, however, his
fortunes collapsed. Renovations and lighthearted family
entertainments gave way to subsistence farming and taking in paying guests.
After Tucker's death, his daughter Jane returned from New York,
bringing with her a passion for Japanese and exotic decoration.
Fortunately, she, and later her niece, took an avid interest in
preserving the house and contents, making few changes to the
decorating schemes. Their dedication preserved Castle Tucker much as
it appeared in the late 19th century.
While in Wiscasset, be sure to visit Historic New England's Nickels-Sortwell House , just a short walk from Castle Tucker.
Directions: Take I-95 to Exit 28, Route 1,
Brunswick. Follow Route 1 to the junction with Route 218 at
Wiscasset. Turn right on Lee Street and proceed to the intersection
with High Street.
Discover more about Castle Tucker in the Historic New
England magazine archives:
